Tailoring the microstructure of silver nanoparticle-intercalated graphene oxide membranes for desalination by pervaporation: Water permeation, membrane fouling, and antibacterial property

[Display omitted] •Membrane configurations significantly affect water permeation performance.•The surface and interlamellar modification improve the water adsorption.•The intercalated Ag NPs adjust/enlarge the interlayer spacing.•The GO and Ag NPs exhibit a synergistic antibacterial effect. Low water flux has limited pervaporation (PV) from being applied in industrial-scale desalination. In this work, membranes embedded with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-intercalated graphene oxide (GO) are proposed and prepared through two methods (self-assembly and blend) to improve membrane water permeation and fouling resistance. The Cs/Ag NP/GO@BM exhibited superior water permeation among the prepared membranes for the following reasons: 1) Water adsorption was improved by both the surface and interlamellar space of the blended matrix; 2) The intercalation effect of Ag NPs and looser stacking structure created more favorable diffusion pathways for water transportation. In the brine fouling test, the water flux of the membrane declined, while the fouling was reversible by NaOH cleaning with a high flux recovery rate (>97 %). Additionally, the Cs/Ag NP/GO@BM exhibited a remarkable antibacterial rate of 99.6 % against E. coli, benefiting from the synergistic inhibiting effect of GO and Ag NPs.